Steam generator



0. H. LEWIS.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9 192!- v 1,41 588 Patented Mar. 28, 11922.

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Chara/es H. Lewis MM ay, A TTORNEYS.

C. H. LEW-IS.

STEAM GENERATOR.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1921- L l-e1 Q5830 Patented. Mar. 28, 1922,,

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O/woP/es H. Lewis A TTORNEYS.

warren stares earner cornice,

CHARLES H. LEWIS, 01? SYRACUSE, YQRK.

STEAM GWATQE.

tion whereby steam at high tension may be f generated readily and quickly by the consumption of aminimum of fuel. A further object is to provide a boiler of the class -which is entirely enclosed by an insulated casing, the latter; being spaced from the boiler for aflording a free and unrestricted passage for the products of combustion from the bottom towards the to of the boiler. A further object is to provlde a novel auxiliary water heater in the form of ahollow disc, which-is positioned between the boiler and the source of heat, wherein relatively small volumes of water may be heated and reduced to steam more readily and quickly than steam is generated in the main boiler shell; the steam generated by said disc being conducted by an independent conduit directly into the top portion of the boiler. A further object is to provide a second and larger auxiliary water heater comprising a hollow annular part which is disposed beneath and supplies water and saturated steam to the disc heater, and which communicates in a novel manner with the main boiler, for the circulation of water and steam therebetween. 'And a further object is to generally improve and simplify, as well as to quicken the action of steam generators of the class.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in the devices shown and described in my pending application Serial No. 392,356.

The various features of the parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1' is a central vertical section taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a reduced elevational view of the complete device. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig." 1. And Fig. 4c is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

casing 8 is Specification of Letters Patent. Pa fggm'ibg fl Im 2& 3922 A Application filed. march 9,

1921. Serial No. 450,852.

In the drawings, 2 represents the usualannular base having a plurality of le s 2'. 3 is the usual cylindrical firebox, the ower end of which receives the top flange of the base 2, to which it is'secured by bolts 3'. Within the box 3 is disposed a gas or va or burner 5, which furnishes heat for the boiler and related parts. The burner is preferably circular and is provided on its topside With a number of jet-burners 5. Oil, gas, or any other suitable fuel may be used or producing the heat, and the fuel may be supplied by a pipe 6 (see Fig. 2). Further details of the burner are omitted for the reason that they form no essential part of the invention.

Upon the casing 3 is mounted an annular part 7, having a depending flange 7 which telescopes and supports the open top-end of the casing 3, thelatter being secured in place by bolts 3. The hollow tubular casing 8 of the boiler proper is mounted upon the ring 7, and its. top end is closed by a cap 8 which has a depending flange that telescopes the casing and is held in place by bolts 8*. The interior of the cap 8' ie provided with a number of radial ribs 8, and has a central opening8 for the escape of the waste products, of combustion. The

preferably lined with an insulation of asbestos 8, for conserving the heat which rises from the burner 5, during the operation of the generator.

The main boiler shell, comprises an upright cylinder 9, which is loosely disposed within and concentric to the jacket 8, the top end of the boiler preferably contacting the ribs 8" for steadying said end. This end of the boiler is preferably closed by a sunken bead 9, which is held in place by rivets 9 and tightly seals said end. The bottom end of the shell 9 is closed and sealed by a similarly shaped part 9*, which bul es downwardly, and is secured to the shell by rivets 9. The bottom 9 is perforated centrally and threaded to receive a bushing 9 and it is also provided with another perforation to receive a pipe 9", which comprises one of the water and steam circula= tion members.

Near the top of the boiler-shell 9 are a number of perforations for facilitating the attachment of a steam outlet-pipe 10, a steamgage 11, and a safety-valve 12. Midway in the height of the shell 9 are two perforations 13' for the attachment of the'usual water 1 gage or glass 13, and preferably opposite the water gage, are perforations which respectively receive a water supply-pipe 14, and a wash-out plug 15. A number of pet-cocks (not shown), may be applied to a series of alining perforations 9.

An important and novel feature of the present invention Consists of independentmeans for preheating relatively small portions or volumes of the water for quickening the generation, and at the same time materially increasing the tensionof the steam, which will now be described:

16 represents an annular drum or coil, preferably about the same diameter as the boiler-shell 9, which is disposed horizontally and in line axially with the boiler. The drum 16 is positioned directly above and concentric to the burner 5, anc therefore is the first to receive the heat from the gas flames. The drum is partially enclosed by the upper end of the casing 3, and has a free annular water space 16, and its body is reinforced by top and bottom ribs 16. Around the top outer margin, the drum 16 is provided with upwardly projecting perforated lugs 16*, which are secured to corresponding portions 7 of the ring 7, by bolts 7 The drum 16 is so positioned that all of the heat rising. from the burner 5 is compelled. to pass throu h the clear central open-- ing or well 16. fly this arrangement the greater portion of the heat from the relativelyl broad burner 5is direcmd towards and against the bottom and the peripheral surfaces of the drum, before the products of combustion finally pass upwardly through the well 16. This materially quiclrens the evaporation of the water in the drum, and enables me to generate steam in a comparatively short space of time. The periphery of the drum 16 is preferably perforated at opposite points to receive extensions of the flow and the return pi s 14 and 9*. This arrangement of the piping affords a free and uninterrupted circulation of the water, be,

tween the shell of the boiler and the drum 16 during the evaporating period. The provision of the oppositely arranged pipes 9 andvl l, one or the other of which performs the function of a bypass, between the drum l6 and the boiler shell, tends to effectually relieve all resistance, which the back pressure of the steam usually exerts on a single conductor (like that shown in my former application), to the flow or circulation of the water between the drum 16 and the shell 9, and therefore materially quickens the action of the present generator. The pipes 9 and 14 are provided with threaded openings which ar shown closed by screw-plugs 9" and 14*, either of which may be removed and replaced by suitable su ply and discharge pipes (not shown). he said pipes are also provided with s1milar openings 00,

ini saa which are preferably used for admitting and for drawing 0d the water.

Auxiliary to the preheating drum 16, l. provide another novel heating element consisting of a hollow disc 17, which is positioned concentrically between the bottom of the boiler 9 and the top of the drum 16, and

preferably in a plan parallel to said parts.

The disc 17 is relatively small in diameter and it is also relatively thin, and contains but a small amount of water as compared with the drum 16. The disc 17 is dispose-d directly over and concentric to the well 160, so that said disc is in direct line and receives the full effect of the heat that passes upwardly through said well. preferably disposed closer to the top of the drum 16 than to th bottom of the shell 9, and its bottom circumferential edge is formed into a depending flange 17, which tends to retard the flow of the products of combustion from its under side towards the bottom of the boiler 9. This close spacing and retardation tends to intensify the heat to such extent that evaporation in the disc 17 is effected mor readily and quickly than at any other point in the generating system. The disc 17 is connected to the drum 16 for the upward flow of water and steam, by a branch pipe 17 By this means the disc 17 is continuously supplied with hot water by the drum 16, and this provision combined with the relatively small volume of water contained by the disc, further tends to quicken the evaporation in the disc, The steam or products of evaporation are carried away from the disc 17 through a vertical pipe 18, which taps the disc and extends upwardly in the line of the longitudinal axis of the boiler 9 to a point near its top, which in practice is well above the hi "best level of the water in the boiler-shell. y this construction -and arrangement a portion of the steam which' is generated in the drum 16, as well as all of the steam which is generated in the disc 17, is afforded a free and direct passage into the steam space at the top of the shell 9. The pipe, 18, having its top end normally open, afil'ords less resistance to the rising steam, than the more tortuous circulatory paths afforded by the pipes 9 and 1 1, and enables me to produce steam at relatively high tension in less time, and by the expenditure of less fuel, than is possible by any other boiler construction known to me. By disposing the relatively small and thin disc 17 between the drum 16 and the bottom of the boiler and in the direct path of the heat rising from the Well 16, my improved boiler is capable of generating steam ata pressure of from 60 to pounds, in not to exceed 15 to 18 minutes, from the time the humor 5 is lit.

The bottom of the boiler shell 9 is pref- The disc 17 is erably provided with a depending annular flange or skirting 9, which tends to retard the flow of the products of combustion,

thereby intensifying the heat at that end of the boiler. The fiange 9 also tends to deflect a portion of the heat downwardly against the top of the disc 17, before the heat finally passes upwardly around the shell 9. This I tends to raise the temperature of the top of the disc 17 and materially quickens the evaporation of the water in said disc.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam generator, a boiler shell having a steam space at its top, a pipe disposed in the line of the vertical axis of the boiler shell and projecting below the shell, a caslow disk of smaller diameter than said drum disposed concentric and close to the top of said drum above the combustion chamber and being directly heated by the products of combustion which pass upwardly through the opening in said drum, said disk receiving water and steam from said drum and discharging all of its products of evaporation through said pipe into the steam space of the boiler.

2. In a steam generator, a boiler shell adapted to be partially filled with water, a casing surrounding and spaced from said shell, a burner disposed in a combustion chamber below the said shell, an annular drum disposed next above said burner and having a smaller diameter than said combustion chamber, an annular support for said drum, said support closing the annular space between the periphery ofsaid drum and the walls of said chamber, a hollow disc mounted above and receiving water and steam from said drum, said disc being disposed in the direct path of the products of combustion which pass upwardly through the center of said drum, and means for conducting the steam generated in said disc upwardly through the center of the shell and for discharging said steam above the water in said shell.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H. LEWIS. 

